How are heat-shock proteins thought to work?

• A. They promote evaporative cooling.
• B. They regulate stomatal opening and closing.
• C. They facilitate the uptake of water.
• D. They increase water potential.
• E. They help other proteins retain their functional shapes.

Answer: (E)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the role of heat-shock proteins: Heat-shock proteins are a type of molecular chaperone that assist in the proper folding of proteins, especially under stress conditions such as high temperatures.
2. Recognize the impact of heat on proteins: High temperatures can cause proteins to denature, losing their functional shapes. Heat-shock proteins help prevent this by stabilizing the proteins and aiding in their refolding.
3. Identify the function of heat-shock proteins: They bind to partially unfolded proteins, preventing aggregation and assisting in the refolding process to ensure proteins maintain their functional shapes.
4. Differentiate heat-shock proteins from other plant responses: Unlike evaporative cooling, stomatal regulation, or water uptake, heat-shock proteins directly interact with other proteins to maintain cellular function during stress.
5. Conclude the primary function: Heat-shock proteins are crucial for cellular survival during heat stress by ensuring proteins retain their functional shapes, thus maintaining cellular processes.